New Board Members Join the Lake Agassiz Water Authority

Posted: Jun 01 2017

New Board Members Join the Lake Agassiz Water Authority

The Lake Agassiz Water Authority (LAWA) Board of Directors welcomes new representation to the board. LAWA is comprised of cities and rural water systems in the Red River Valley, including the eastern 13 counties in North Dakota and three cities in Minnesota. The board of directors consists of five city members, five rural water system members, and two associate members, each serving a two-year term.

Dave Carlsrud, Mayor of Valley City, will hold a board position reserved for city representatives. Dave was selected to represent the city of Valley City on the LAWA board. The spot was last held by Bob Werkhoven, the former mayor of Valley City.

John Hancock, president of Agassiz Water Users District, is a new rural water system representative. The rural water position was formerly held by Clark Cronquist, also of the Agassiz Water Users District.

Other board members representing cities include Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney, also serving as the board Chair. Grand Forks City Council member Ken Vein serves as Vice-Chair. Carol Siegert, Hunter, ND, and Ralf Mehnert-Meland, Moorhead, MN, are also city representatives.

“The Lake Agassiz Water Authority is committed to serving the best interests of water users in central and eastern North Dakota and our Minnesota border cities in the planning and development of the Red River Valley Water Supply Project,” say board chair and Mayor of Fargo, Tim Mahoney. “We are happy to welcome some strong leaders to our board.”
The water authority was created by the ND Legislature in 2003 and serves to represent the users in the Red River Valley Water Supply Project, a buried pipeline designed to bring water from the Missouri River to central and eastern North Dakota.

Surface water supplies in Central North Dakota and the Red River Valley are limited and unreliable, particularly under drought conditions. Additionally, limited groundwater supplies are nearly fully appropriated. With continued growth and industrial development, the RRVWSP is needed to:

Mitigate against drought conditions that would cause costly water shortages

Foster economic development by meeting municipal, industrial, and rural water demands